Previous Next

Time Pilot has been around in the arcades for quite some time and still attracts a fair number of punters wanting a good blast. This cartridge is a pretty faithful copy and provides the goods if zapping is what you're into.

The scenario of the game is very simple. You control a jet-fighter and must do battle with successive waves of enemies, beginning with the antique biplanes of 1910 and going through the present day to the sort of airborne weapon that Ronald Reagan dreams of.

Control is similar to Asteroids - you rotate and move forward, spewing out a stream of bullets. It can take some time to master the art of movement, but once you've cracked it it's plain flying.

The green biplanes aren't too difficult to see off: they fire few bullets and less bombs. At the end of the wave you have to destroy their controller, a red Zeppelin which lumbers across the screen.

You then warp on to 1940 to face the more formidable challenge of WWII fighters and bombers. These throw a great deal more lead in your direction and also get on your tail in hot pursuit. Next, you're in 1970. Now it's whirlybirds. They're faster than the first two waves and they also fire semi-guided missiles.

Then it's the present - 1984 - which was presumably in the future when this game was written! Sleek jets are after you here, again firing those black and nasty missiles. In 2001 you're up against blue flying saucers sending out their futuristic missiles.

The trouble with Time Pilot is that after 1970 it doesn't seem to get any more difficult or introduce any new elements: your opponents may change but you just do the same thing.

The graphics are colourful enough and the sound is okay. But overall Time Pilot is now looking a bit dated.